Red Canyon offers side canyons....
Red Canyon offers side canyons. We call this one Pinnacle Canyon for obvious reasons.
For a few weeks, the stage operated regularly, carrying full loads of miners who were willing to pay the $40 fare. The Concord Coaches were built to accommodate nine passengers inside, and six more could be accommodated on the roof, but more than double that number were sometimes crowded on. One stage is reported to have left San Bernardino with 35 passengers, counting the driver and shotgun.
This passenger stage service lasted only a short time, though freight wagons continued to operate along the trail. In winter 1863, gold fever reached its peak, and in September, John Frink and James Grant of San Bernardino reinitiated passenger service between San Bernardino and La Paz. The cost remained $40, and stations were developed along the route to make travel more enjoyable. The average time from Los Angeles to La Paz was usually between four and five days.
The route was "officially" recognized, and Congress authorized a U.S. Mail contract to James Grant. The mail route ran from Los Angeles through San Bernardino; La Paz; Prescott, Arizona; and on to Santa Fe.
William Bradshaw died in La Paz, Arizona Territory, on December 2, 1864, shortly after his route was acknowledged as the primary route to the gold fields. His death is a mystery, but the following article appeared in the Los Angeles Tri-Weekly News about two weeks after his death: "We learn from Mr. (James) Grant that William Bradshaw - of Bradshaw route notoriety - well known to miners and mountaineers, committed suicide at La Paz on the second by cutting his throat. Bradshaw had been on one of his 'big benders' and was probably under the influence at the time; he was pursued by ghosts. He walked deliberately into a carpenter's shop, took up a drawing knife, and with one stroke nearly severed his head from his shoulders."
The canyon walls dwarf the...
The canyon walls dwarf the Hummer. The walls were formed from loose rock, sandstone, and dirt. While driving through them, some small rocks fell on one of the vehicles. Be careful when exploring.
The trail was used for passengers, freight, and mail until 1877. Its colorful history is replete with murders, robberies, and Indian attacks. The exact date of the last stage is unknown, but the convenience and speed of rail travel and the depletion of gold from the fields combined to reduce the need for regular use. The trail continued to be an important access for mineral exploration throughout the mountains between Dos Palmas and the Colorado River.
Today, you can drive the stretch of the Bradshaw Trail between Dos Palmas and the Colorado River in a stock vehicle. The entire trip can be completed in one day, but plan at least an overnight trip to give yourself time to explore the many interesting trails that emanate from the main road. Most of it looks as it did back in the 1860s, and you can really get a feel for what it was like back then, when horses and mules powered the wagons instead of gasoline and diesel.
We took the Hummer Club and a few other vehicles on the Bradshaw Trail. Everyone had a great time - not only on the actual trail, but exploring the side roads and canyons that access areas of the beautiful Colorado desert that few get a chance to see.
The Red Canyon Jeep Trail...
The Red Canyon Jeep Trail climbs out of Red Canyon and travels to the north of Salt Creek Wash (where the Bradshaw Trail is) and offers tremendous views of the surrounding desert.
Start your trip by taking Highway 111 to the community of Desert Beach, California, on the shore of the Salton Sea. Turn east on Parkside Drive (across from Salton Sea State Recreation Area), go about 1.7 miles, then turn left on Desert Aire. In half a mile, stop, air down, and zero your odometer.
Mile 0.0: Turn right on the canal road and parallel the canal, noting the fine desert scenery and the sharp contrast the blue water makes with it. This is the Coachella Canal, bringing water from the Colorado River to the rich Imperial and Coachella Valleys. You're not on the actual Bradshaw Trail yet, but if you look to your right in about 4 miles, you can see Dos Palmas Oasis, an important stop on the trail. The Nature Conservancy purchased the oasis and has closed it to all entry (except for a privileged few). Continue along the canal until . . .